football

Chesterfield Town’s Under-8 side are making local junior football history - after TWELVE of their players signed for professional clubs.

The side, who have enjoyed another successful season playing in both the Sheffield & District and Rowsley & District Youth football leagues, have won 16 tournaments over the last two years, and have tasted victory in two cup finals in that time.

Town won every one of their games in the Rowsley league, conceding just one goal all season in the process.

Now their time at Chesterfield has come to an end, as the youngsters go their seperate ways and prepare to join clubs including Sheffield United and Wednesday, Barnsley, Derby County and Nottingham Forest.

Manager Paul Carline is following his players into academy football, too, after landing a job working with Wednesday’s pre-academy Under-5 to Under-8 squads.

“It has been great to be a part of the Chesterfield Town set up for the last three years,” Paul, whose son Louis will also join Wednesday, told Grass Roots.

“I have seen these boys develop from very young footballers at Under-5 level, to the academy players they have become.

“This has only been achieved through hard work and dedication, from the players themselves, my coaching staff and, of course, the parents who give up their spare time to taxi the players around.

“It has been an absolute honour and a privilege to have worked with such talented young footballers, and I would like to wish them all the best for the future with their professional clubs.”

Paul will now work with Wednesday’s pre-academy programme at their Middlewood training base, alongside experienced coach John Megson.

“It’s a great honour to be offered the chance to work for a professional football club like Sheffield Wednesday,” Paul added.

“Hopefully I will be able to enjoy the same success as I did at Chesterfield town.

“I will be using my local grass roots knowledge and contacts to ensure Sheffield Wednesday enhance their relationships with the local junior clubs, and this in turn will help Sheffield Wednesday identify the best local talent for the club in the future.”